This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread globally, Kenyan students in the United States are facing uncertainty about their future in the country.
On July 6, 2020, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that students on non-immigrant F-1 and M-1 visas who attend universities that operate entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States.
According to ICE, students attending schools that provide a mixture of online and in-person classes will be permitted to take some online courses, but the schools must certify that the program is not entirely online and that the student is taking the minimum number of online classes required to make normal progress in their degree.
ICE also warned that students who remain in the United States while taking only online courses could face immigration consequences, including the initiation of removal proceedings.
Kenya has seen a significant increase in the number of students enrolled in US higher-education institutions, with nearly four per cent more students enrolled in 2019, reaching a total of 3,451 students, according to a 2019 study published by the State Department Bureau and Institute of International Education.
With the updated guidance from ICE, Kenyan students in the US are now facing a difficult decision about whether to return home or risk facing immigration consequences.
